We seem to have had a very busy time at Fashion Fringe in the last few weeks but I am not complaining. They have been stimulating and enjoyable…

VOGUE FASHION’S NIGHT OUT

Let’s start with Vogue Fashion’s Night Out, where a selection of our past winners showcased looks on live models in the Canteen Pop-Up restaurant in the market building at the heart of Covent Garden’s Piazza. While we organised our own Pop-Up Shop, just around the corner, in a perfect little Georgian House – 7 Henrietta Street.

Our ‘Pop Up’ people were the incredibly talented knitwear designer, Alice Palmer and Jade Kang, two of our finalists last year; JENA.THEO, Fashion Fringe winners in 2009; EunJeong Hong, who won in 2008 and became a heroine in South Korea, and that clever label LF Markey, runner up in the same year. For the first time, we invited dedicated bloggers and so each designer could show one preview garment.

We also shot our Look Book for Fashion Fringe 2011 in Henrietta Street – photographed by Zoe Barlingwith hair and make-up by Craig Chapman and Amanda Harrington of InParlour. It was all a very positive experience.

FASHION FRINGE 2011 CATWALK SHOW

For the finalists’ show the casting was in the safe hands of Melissa Woolford, and hosted by Georgina Carr at The London College of Fashion with her usual calm patience and authority. She is one of our ‘rocks’ who makes things happen.

As those of you who were there know, the show was held at our new venue, 8 Northumberland, under the helpful guidance of Charles Boyd and his really ‘can-do’ team: Ellie Barnard, Hayley Economou, Lindsay Marshall-Ward & Naomi Dallas. The show space and party room worked perfectly. One of the many nice things about the night was that our current Accessories winner, Kerrie Luft, came back from Paris where she is apprenticed to Bruno Frisoni at Roger Vivier and we displayed her shows as a pointer for guests.

This year, we had a very sophisticated addition, for which we are indebted to Emma Etherton and Ben Gallop, in the shape of a Samsung Galaxy S II backstage lounge (graced by Samsung Electronics UK Managing Director, Mr. Song, as well as Samsung Mobile’s Managing Director, Simon Stanford) which was used as a chill-out hub by the designers, models and media for interviews. We felt highly honoured. There were also blogger bars in the party room – a first, thanks again to Samsung – so the news of the winner could be announced as soon as they were named.

Another first is that we invited not only photographers to record the show but also fashion artists and the experience was rewarding enough for us to want to expand this next year.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS, SUPPLIERS AND FRIENDS

Now, one of the most pleasing things for me, thanking our partners who give so generously so much more than money. Their enthusiasm and belief in what we do is really heartening. I am sure you know their names, but it is a pleasure to list them here because without their generosity, we really couldn’t function. So, here is the roll call of honours:

And, finally, a big thank you to Good Relations who worked so hard with guests lists, interviews and coverage, and, of course, John Rushworth of Pentagram, who designed the space and programme, brilliantly as always, and INCA Productions (especially Chris Ford) who, every year, work miracles with our limited budget.

But I can’t finish without thanking that very talented jeweller, Jessica McCormack, for her beautiful and very clever trophy. I marvel at how she finds a new and exciting variation on our theme every year. She doesn’t just have artistic ability in cart loads, she has a sophisticated aesthetic that is entirely modern – and that’s why we love her.

RIP Louise Wilson. A very influential figure in the British fashion industry. Her teaching left such an impression on so many designers.01:44:50 PM May 18, 2014

Fashion Fringe is an annual award platform – founded by Colin McDowell in 2003 in conjunction with IMG Fashion – offering talented emerging designers the chance to launch their label in London through a combined programme of mentoring, studio space, financial support and a catwalk show at London Fashion Week. Fashion Fringe is an IMG Event.